Doubt
by Rekhyt Lacerda
Summary: Revolving around an Ahsoka x OC romantic pairing, this story describes how an intriguing and powerful jedi causes Ahsoka to question the very nature of the jedi order, while confronting feelings she knows she should not have. Rated T for the moment, that may change later. Deals with romance, the adventure and politics of the clone wars, and the philosophies of the jedi and sith.
1. Prologue

"He is too old". Saesee Tiin's definitive tone sounded from the hologram, which flickered slightly in the council chair.

"There is precedent, Master Tiin." Eyes turned to meet those of the speaker, Ki-Adi-Mundi. The significance was not lost on his audience; Mundi was himself an example of one who was allowed to join the order after infancy. "It is not long, after all, since we last took in a mature student", he turned to face Obi-Wan, "and as I understand it, young Skywalker is excelling in his studies." A curt nod from Obi-Wan confirmed the query. The smooth voice of Kit Fisto was the next to receive attention.

"There is also the boy's power to consider. He very nearly brought a building down atop us during his capture. Had the security officer not seized an opportunity to tranquilise him when he did, I've no doubt that far more of the city would have been lost."

The jedi's large, black eyes scanned the room, gauging the response of his fellow members, before resting their gaze on the squat, green figure in the centre of the semi-circle. "Tell me, Master Yoda, has there ever been a case in which a force-sensitive's powers have manifested, without any apparent training, to such destructive ends?"

"If another occasion, there has been, know of it, the Jedi do not." The figure next to Yoda had remained silent in the debate, but Windu now spoke with a heavy tone of finality.

"The boy's power is evident, and it is obvious that he must be taught control with all haste. As to what is to be done with him afterwards..." The jedi paused here, hesitant of how he should phrase his concern. "The child bears the mark of the Sith, and it is possible that they already know of his existence. Although I think the boy may be too old to properly engage with the training, I dislike more the idea of our enemy making a disciple of him in the future. We still do not know the extent of their reach."

"Actually Master, our researchers have recently cast doubt on the meaning and origin of those tattoos", Obi-Wan commented. "But I agree with your assessment - the boy should join the order. If nothing else, we can hardly send him back where we found him." Yoda's voice followed quickly, but hesitantly.

"The only reason to suspect Sith involvement, the tattoos are not." He received puzzled looks in return. It was clear by the jedi's voice that he did not wish to elucidate further, and if any of the jedi wanted to dig more, their respect for the council's de facto leader held them back. Windu and Yoda shared a troubled glance, and the human spoke the last words of the debate.

"The boy's power must be brought under control, that much is clear. We cannot in good conscience teach someone to use the force but offer no other guidance. He will remain within our order, under our watch, and we will tailor his training as best we can. Any objections?" When he received only silence and shakes of the head, Windu relaxed back into his seat, satisfied with the outcome. "We had best go and fetch him then." He gestured to a figure at the edge of the room. "Guard -". Windu broke off, a slight frown coming across his face. He turned back to address Kit Fisto once more. "Tell me, do we now know the boy's name?"

"If he has a name, Master, he has forgotten it, along with everything else." A smile tugged at the jedi's mouth, which was never too far from a grin. "He was found with a necklace, though. A symbol of the old Tionese alphabet - Tau, if I'm not mistaken."

"Tau...", Windu pondered for a moment. "Very well." He turned once more to the room's perimeter. "Guard, see if our young ward has awoken, and bring him here if he has."

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><p>Across the temple, through bright, clean hallways and grand arches, in a small and secluded room, a young boy sat on a square of cloth. Dim light cast from a panel that framed the edges of the room illuminated a bed, a wash basin, a metal chair, and a mirror covered in a thin layer of dust. It had a slightly run-down feel about it, and the boy guessed that it was a temporary fixture.<p>

Pushing himself off the floor, the boy grasped the sheet of cloth and wiped the particulate film from the mirror in front of him. He examined the person who gazed back at him with fierce, violet eyes. His expression was pinched into a contrived scowl, his jaw clenched tight, and his hands balled into fists, all of which hid the nervousness itching below the surface.

He raised a hand to his temple to examine a shallow cut, wincing slightly as he probed the flesh. The tail of the cut lead up to one of the small bone protrusions at the top of his skull. The leftmost protrusion (Horn? He supposed they might be called that, were they a little larger) was cracked, and he vaguely remembered receiving the injury from a falling stone during his capture.

The boy traced his fingers along the structure of his face. His features were stern for one so young, emanating defiance. His fingers moved lower on his pale skin, along the curve of his neck and scapula. Then he reached his torso, which, along with his arms, was covered in an elegant painting of thin black lines. He rubbed at one of the lines to no effect. Not a painting then - a tattoo.

As the boy focused on their image, a memory positioned itself at the edge of his mind, just out of reach. It was fragmented and too foggy to discern properly. A grimace settled on his face as he tried harder to retrieve the memory. A sharp recollection of intense pain came to him then, jolting him back to the little room.

He took a breath to steady himself and examined the last odd feature of his person. Just above his sternum, suspended around his neck by a plain silver chain, there hung a small, metal symbol, seeming to sit among the twisting lines of his tattoo as if the design had been made with the trinket borne in mind. He caressed its smooth edges beneath his fingertips. He did not recognise the symbol, but resting his gaze upon it gave him a familiar and welcome comfort.

The boy stepped back slightly, shifting his eyes up to meet the puzzled stare of his reflection. The boy stayed in that position, quite still, for a time that could have been as short as a few seconds, or as long as a few hours, before frowning at his discovery. Try as he might, the only memories he could conjure up before awakening in this little room were flashes of his pursuit and subsequent capture by the jedi.

The sigh of the door sliding open jolted the boy from his contemplation. He swivelled around to face the figure in the doorway, his body tensed to flee or fight. He narrowed his eyes at the man, but relaxed slightly when he saw that the man's expression was soft and devoid of malice. The man then spoke in a low, soft tone.

"You're awake. Good. I am to take you to the jedi council now." The man spoke again, seeing suspicion come back into the boy's stance. "No need to worry. Just a few questions, I imagine, nothing too taxing before you've had more time to rest and recover."

The man smiled warmly and held out his hand to the child. The boy glanced at the offered hand, straightened his back, and walked past into the hallway without taking it. The man gave a slight chuckle at that, before turning and leading the boy off to be assessed by the jedi council, after which he would be launched on a tumultuous and exciting journey as part of the Jedi order.

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><p><strong>AN Hi guys, thanks for reading. Comments and reviews would be much appreciated. This is my first story and just a sentence to let me know you're reading would really mean a lot. Thanks, next chapter will be up soon.**


	2. Introduction

Ahsoka paced quietly down a long hall in the jedi temple on Coruscant. Her footsteps echoed around the empty tunnel, off of the pristine marble that provided the camber to so much of the temple. The sound was almost eerie to Ahsoka's mind. She had, of course, called the temple home for much of her childhood, but this part formed the university.

The university was not formerly named as such; technically these halls and rooms formed part of the jedi academy (the part of the temple used to instruct younglings). The university was the title bestowed by jedi padawans on those parts of the academy rarely used for the teaching of younglings. Instead, these halls and classrooms were used for exams, demonstrations, ceremonies, and the continued training of older jedi. As Master Yoda was fond of remarking to his pupils, "never complete, a jedi's learning is." For that reason, these structures gave none of the familiar comfort Ahsoka gained from other areas of the temple. They had always been associated with stress and excitement in her mind.

And this was exactly the nature of Ahsoka's business here today. Every jedi padawan had to attend to a minimum amount of time studying, even those in active duty. Since the inception of the clone wars, the jedi council had progressively slackened the definition of 'study', allowing the missions in which Ahsoka regularly participated to count as 'field work', but, even so, a few weeks of the year had to be spent refining skills and knowledge in the academy on Coruscant.

A throng of other students moved along an adjacent corridor up ahead, some of whom Ahsoka recognised as her classmates. Just then, another set of footsteps joined the rhythmic tapping of Ahsoka's own, a little faster in tempo as the owner rushed to catch up.

"Ahsoka!"

"Hello Barriss" Ahsoka greeted her friend warmly. "Do you know what the fuss is about today?"

Ahsoka had picked up on the excitable demeanour of the other students, and it was becoming clear that Barriss herself was excited, or nervous - her temperament made it difficult to tell sometimes.

"Apparently, Master Drallig has been urgently called away, and so we are to receive a lesson from Tau." Barriss fidgeted with her sleeve cuff a little as she said his name.

"Tau? That name sounds familiar..." This was met with a look of incredulity from her fellow padawan.

"He was that kid, here on Coruscant. His force powers went crazy, and the Jedi had to chase him down and capture him. It destroyed a whole city block, apparently. Anyway, supposedly he's some sort of prodigy." Barriss clenched her jaw a little before continuing.

"He completed the training quite young. His master just died, and the council decided that he's talented enough to have him here instructing younglings and other padawans while they figure out what to do with him next. I've heard rumours they were considering letting him take the trials to become a knight, only..." Barriss tilted her head slightly, as if trying to remember the phrasing, rather than formulate it.

"...Only, I've heard he's also a little...original?" Ahsoka frowned as Barriss said the word.

"Original? That hardly seems like a criticism."

Barriss shook her head dismissively.

"What was it Master Luminara said? Original...in his interpretations...of parts of the order...of our principles...or, conventions. Something like that..." She trailed off, then blinked, resigned to that half-remembered explanation, adding almost as an afterthought, "He's younger than I am." Then Ahsoka placed what she had thought of as excitement or nervousness: it was annoyance. She grinned to herself at her colleague's discomfort and broke into a light jog at the realisation that they were running late.

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><p>Ahsoka entered after Barriss, a tad embarrassed to find that they were the last to arrive. The voice that greeted them was deeper than she was expecting, and commanding.<p>

"Ahsoka, Barriss, take a saber from the case and fall in." Ahsoka was already heading for the case in front of her and reached in to take one of the training lightsabers. A quiet relief filled her. Saber skills, good, she was ahead of most of her peers in that discipline, having trained under Anakin and having had her skills tested in real combat. Her relief was quickly tempered with unease, though. The hilt of the saber was twice the standard length. This was to be a saberstaff class, it seemed.

Ahsoka took her position at the end of the row, and for the first time took a proper look at her instructor, who was talking again.

"As I was saying, Cin Drallig is indisposed, and has asked me to fill in for him this session." If there was any more to the explanation, it was not offered to the class.

"I'm aware this is not your first exposure to the saberstaff, so I'll make this brief. The design of the saberstaff, or double-sided lightsaber, was likely influenced by the Zabrak quarterstaff, or zhaboka..."

Ahsoka had heard this before, and took the opportunity to examine their teacher more closely. Barriss had indicated that Tau was younger than she was, but he also looked to be older than Ahsoka. He wore loose-fitting black combat gear with dark red trimming. The tunic was fairly open at his torso, revealing muscular arms and chest, all of which were covered in intricate black tattoos. He was taller than she was, but not the tallest in the room. No doubt the most imposing though - he was stocky, with more of a fighter's physique than the lithe athlete's or gymnast's found in the other padawans present.

The curious thing was his species. The small horns that could be seen on the top of his head, coupled with the tattoos (which Ahsoka recognised from pictures of Nightbrother Dathomirians) would suggest Zabrak, except that his head also boasted short shaved hair, and a dark stubble lined his jaw and chin. His skin, as well, was not quite any Zabrak shade. Evidently Zabrak was part of his lineage, but as for the rest, something human-like she supposed.

On occasion, he would lift a hand to stroke a symbol looped on a discrete chain around his neck. The movement seemed so relaxed that Ahsoka suspected he didn't know he was doing it. He was quite still, and his voice steady, so that might have been an unconscious symptom of nervousness, she decided.

As his eyes roamed back across the line, Ahsoka's own snapped up to meet them. She was accosted then by a sharp stare, made all the more entrancing by an almost luminescent violet pigmentation to his iris.

She suddenly found that she had lost track of what he was saying.

"Those of you who have studied Jar'Kai may find it useful to employ similar mental techniques to the saberstaff." Ahsoka relaxed again. She had studied Jar'Kai to some length, and often practiced with a short 'shoto' lightsaber in her off-hand, with the intention of eventually making it a permanent feature of hers.

"However, it is not necessarily helpful to imagine the saberstaff in the same way as two distinct blades. I think the sentiment is best explained by the words of a blademaster, penned over a millennium ago." Tau paused, and proceeded to recite the quotation to the group.

"In combat, your mind tries to keep track of each blade separately, effectively doubling the number of possibilities. But the two blades are connected: by knowing the location of one, you are automatically aware of the location of the other. In actual practice, the double-bladed lightsaber is more limited than the traditional lightsaber. It can do more damage, but it is less precise. It requires longer, sweeping movements that don't transition well into a quick stab or thrust. Because the weapon is difficult to master, however, few among the Jedi or even the Sith understand it. They don't know how to attack or defend effectively against it. That gives those of us who use it an advantage over most of our opponents." He paused again to let the words settle in the minds of the students, before adding a hushed remark.

"It would not surprise me if this is the first time you've heard the concept phrased that way. They are the words, after all, of a sith blademaster."  
>That caused a stir in the pupils, though nothing punctured the silence more than murmuring. Ahsoka was aware of a glance that Barriss shot to her. Clearly, this was the 'originality' of which she had spoken. But Tau was talking again.<p>

"The saberstaff was, however, originally a sith weapon. The best way to defend against it, is to understand how to wield it. I'm sure I don't need to remind anyone of what happened the last time the Jedi were surprised by a sith employing such a weapon." The murmuring stopped dead then, and Ahsoka knew an image of Qui-Gon Jinn came in to more than just her mind.

"I thought not." The silence lingered a moment more.

"Well then, we'll begin with some kata. Pair up." The upbeat tone of the command startled Ahsoka, but she quickly regained her bearings and spun around to meet Barriss. Igniting the lightsabers, they backed up to find some space in the hall, neither feeling any easier about what the lesson might bring.

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><p><strong>AN Hi again, thanks for sticking around. Nothing much to add, comments still appreciated, next chapter will be up soon (I'm rather enjoying this).**


	3. Spying Games

**A/N Hi guys. Thanks for reading and thanks especially to those of you who've left comments and reviews. I haven't been able to reply directly to them because of a problem I had with the 24 hour new user purgatory, but should be able to from now on. This chapter sees the first hints of the romance topic, so do tell me what you think.**

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><p>Ahsoka was sweating as she walked towards a young human boy in the corner of the training hall. Tau had driven them all hard during the course of the lesson, which had begun with basic stances and movements and then transitioned quickly into more advanced techniques and strategies.<p>

They had worked in pairs for the most part, swapping partners after a certain amount of time repeating each routine and movement. The boy towards whom Ahsoka was walking was the last partner in one such circuit.

Ahsoka tried to use the time between exercises to catch her breath. She was used to the hard work, of course, but even so the lesson had taken something out of them all. No one would complain though, not only through pride but also because Tau had been through everything they had, running through the exercises himself to provide a model for the class.

"Hi, I'm Ahsoka", she nodded to the boy in a rushed introduction.

He gave a gruff reply.

"Jarin."

The pleasantries over, they launched straight into the final sequence of attacks and defences. As she finished the second repetition, she was startled by a voice behind her.

"Good, Ahsoka. Jarin, your feet need to be set wider apart, or a strong attack might knock you off balance, even if it were blocked."

Ahsoka had been thinking something similar, but Jarin narrowed his eyes at Tau.

"Yes, Padawan Tau." His reply was steeped in sarcasm, and a sneer lingered on his face without any attempt at discretion. If their instructor was bothered by the remark he gave no indication, taking a few paces away to examine the pair next to them.

Ahsoka turned back to her partner as he spoke again, to her this time. "Doesn't it bother you?"

Ahsoka sent him a puzzled look. Jarin continued, "He's basically our age. In fact, he's younger than at least one of us. Why are we being taught saber skills by another padawan?"

The boy was clearly annoyed at this, and Ahsoka, not wanting to argue with her training partner, thought it best to be diplomatic.

"Well, Master Drallig seems to trust him enough to teach us. It's only while he's away." Jarin made a dismissive noise in his throat but didn't push the matter further. They turned back to their exercise.

"That's enough. Everybody fall in." The padawans obliged the instruction from the front of the class and formed a line in front of Tau. Most stood, trying to catch their breath. Tau stayed quiet for a moment, allowing them to do so, before speaking again.

"You all did well today. I'd like a pair for a final demonstration and critique for each of the exercises. Any volunteers?"

No-one did anything immediately, and Ahsoka was about to raise her hand when a voice came from beside her.

"Why don't you demonstrate?" The question came from a Twi'lek male with dark green skin. His voice was a little shaky, and he kept glancing to his side at Jarin.

Ahsoka remembered that the two boys had stood together at the beginning of the class and had paired with each other when given the chance. She assumed they were friends, and by the looks of it the Twi'lek boy (Ahsoka thought he had introduced himself as 'Novem') was being egged on by Jarin.

Jarin then spoke, his voice steadier and more accusatory.

"You're a padawan just like us, but I haven't seen you do anything to merit you teaching us yet. If you're so talented, prove it."

A few tense seconds passed in which Tau and Jarin stared at each other without speaking. Ahsoka thought she saw the edges of Tau's lips curl up, but he opened his mouth to speak again.

"Very well, a quick sparring match might be useful for the class." The padawans started muttering excitedly to one another as Tau pointed at both Jarin and Novem and backed a few steps to the left.

Ahsoka raised her eyebrows at Barriss, who was watching the scene with a look of concern. She turned her attention back to the front.

Novem approached first, bowing in to Jarin's gesturing. He approached cautiously, igniting blue blades. Jarin activated the blades of his green lightsaber in the background.

Tau remained motionless. His arms were crossed in front of his chest, and his lightsaber dangled innocuously from his belt.

Novem frowned, and shot a concerned look back at Jarin, who only jerked his head once again at the instructor.

Novem swallowed, turned to face his opponent once more, and made a dart straight forward. He jabbed with his left blade, aiming at Tau's centre of mass.

Tau neatly sidestepped the attack and pushed the hilt of Novem's staff so that it hit him lightly on the forehead. Another step past Novem and a force push to his back sent him toppling to the blue training mat.

Jarin gave a frustrated growl and propelled himself forwards. He swept low with his blade, meaning to catch the leg of his opponent.

Rather than stepping out of the curve of the strike as Jarin had expected, Tau swiftly stepped inside it, delivering a quick kick to the handle of the staff.

Unbalanced, Jarin took a step forward to stop himself falling over. Tau caught Jarin with a hand on his chest and, wrapping his leg behind Jarin's knee, pushed him backwards and sent him skidding along the mat on his back.

Still without a sound, Tau walked calmly to the other end of the mat, where he twirled to face the boys once more. He used the force to send the training staff at his belt into his right hand, activating both blue blades with a twisting flourish.

By now, both boys were on their feet again, approaching together from either side. Once in range, Tau began the attack, jabbing at Jarin's centre and transitioning neatly into a high sweep at Novem's head.

Both attacks were parried, and Tau followed up with blinding speed, delivering more strikes and not allowing either boy to counter-attack.

What followed was one of the most one-sided bouts Ahsoka had ever seen. She had thought she was progressing nicely with the saberstaff, if not perfectly.

In single combat, Jedi are taught to make their lightsaber an extension of their own arm, but she and all her classmates treated the staffs somewhat clumsily. The second blade, she found, got in the way more than it helped.

Whereas she could usually follow through on every strike, to do so with the staff would be to cut herself in half. This limitation cut down on her mobility.

Watching the fight before her showed her the error in her thinking. She observed that Tau, rather than allow his movements to be limited by the staff, adjusted his movements to suit the staff. This resulted in leaning to shift the centre of weight, and in some impressive acrobatics - not entirely dissimilar to those she employed for her Ataru techniques.

The fight came to a head quite quickly. Jarin and Novem found themselves in the same defensive pose, facing Tau.

Tau began a sweeping motion with his right blade, bringing it across from the left side of his body. Jarin and Novem both brought blades up to meet the strike. As he swung, Tau deactivated his left lightsaber blade, allowing him to follow through and deliver a powerful blow to both lightsabers in front of him.

As the boys tried to recover, Tau used the blade that was still ignited to push aside Novem's lightsaber, and brought his blade up parallel to the Twi'lek's neck. He simultaneously reignited the second blade, which sprang into existence just short of Jarin's heart. The fight was won.

Tau deactivated both blades and waited for the boys to rejoin the class. Novem gathered himself up and bowed to his instructor, which Tau returned, before retaking his place in the line.

Jarin seemed frozen to the spot, confusion and anger battling to take precedence on his face. Eventually, he found his voice.

"You cheated."

A moment passed, and again Ahsoka thought she detected the briefest of smiles before Tau spoke.

"Did I?" Still looking at Jarin, he addressed the class. "Can someone remind me what I said the point of this lesson was?"

It was Barriss who offered an answer.

"To learn how to defend against a saberstaff, by understanding how to wield one."

"Thank you." Tau now turned to face his audience.

"The saberstaff is an unorthodox and unpredictable weapon. It is precisely that unpredictable quality which you must appreciate in order to disavow an opponent staff wielder of their advantage, to enter the battle on equal footing. In fact, it may give you the advantage, as your opponent is likely to think that they can surprise you with its use."

He glanced at Jarin again, who was making his way back to the line. "I find it is preferable to encounter the unorthodox for the first time in a training room, than on the battle field. Sith tend to be less forgiving."

Tau took a breath and then began again, as if the fight had not taken place. "You all did well today. Class is dismissed."

Tau gave a shallow bow, which Ahsoka and the others returned in kind before turning and heading out of the hall.

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><p>Barriss caught up with Ahsoka in the hallway outside and began talking excitedly.<p>

"He is rather good isn't he? Did you see how he finished that fight?" Barriss kept talking but Ahsoka was lost inside her head, replaying the training fight again, committing it to memory to be practiced at later.

Suddenly she stopped short. She felt at her waist as Barriss turned to look at her, feeling a saberstaff hanging at her belt.

"Sorry Barriss", she said, "I've left my lightsaber behind. I'll catch up with you later."

"OK", Barriss replied, but Ahsoka was already walking briskly back in the direction she came.

When inside the training hall, she cast about for the case of training sabers which contained her lightsaber, and saw that it had been moved to the back of the room, ready for collection by a service droid.

She ran over and unclipped the lid, placing her training saber inside and retrieving her familiar blade.

Just then she heard voices at the other end of the room. Suddenly feeling like she shouldn't be there, Ahsoka ducked behind a pillar, peering towards the source of the sound.

Two figures stepped into her field of vision and continued walking towards the front of the room. One was Tau, and walking with him was Master Windu.

"So, how did you find training the padawans?" Windu asked.

"A little disconcerting, but the lesson proved to be rather interesting." Ahsoka was surprised at Tau's response. If he had felt uncomfortable training other padawans, he hadn't shown it during the lesson.

The two came to a halt in the centre of the room. Tau took a breath before speaking again.

"I don't wish to seem insistent, sir, but has the council considered my proposal any more? Most bounty hunters we meet these days seem to have a working knowledge of Teräs Käsi, and my own style has proved quite popular with the clone squadrons who volunteered for the training."

Ahsoka thought that Tau's referring to Master Windu as 'sir' seemed a little strange, but Windu replied without mentioning it.

"I appreciate that Tau, and we're happy for you to continue working with the clones to the point where they can instruct others, but Master Yoda feels that your martial art is too aggressive. We are unlikely to alter the Jedi training in that respect."

"Very well. Please thank the council for their consideration."

"I will. Good day, Padawan Tau."

"Good day, General." There, again, Ahsoka thought that Tau's reference to Windu's title seemed forced and unnatural. She stayed perched behind the pillar as Windu walked out of the room through another doorway, and was about to leave herself when her attention was caught.

Tau had walked to the edge of the training mat and removed his shirt. He appeared to grip something in his fist, squeezing it as if for good luck before setting it down under his shirt and returning to the centre of the mat.

Ahsoka once again appraised the jedi, and saw that the tattoos on his torso did not reach down past his waist, but stopped abruptly slightly below his sternum. The design didn't come to a natural finish, either, but was cut off in a straight horizontal line.

Ahsoka widened her eyes slightly and chastised herself when she realised that she was essentially spying on him now, but nonetheless did not move from her position.

Tau now clapped his hands in front of him and closed his eyes. Ahsoka saw a ripple go through his body as he tensed and relaxed all of his muscles in sequence from head to toe. She clenched her hands together, and felt her heartbeat speed up slightly.

He remained in that pose a moment longer, before stepping into a series of fluid motions, punctuated now and then with punches or kicks.

Slow as the movements were, sweat began to bead on the man's skin, running down his muscular form and jumping from his arms with each punch. Ahsoka clenched her jaw, and felt her breathing shallow.

It was a captivating performance, and Ahsoka stayed there watching him for some time, relaxed and fascinated by the languid movements, unable to drag her gaze away from the scene.

Eventually though, the scolding voice in her head won out, and she left by the doorway behind her, the image of his dance accompanying her all the way back to her room.


	4. Meetings

Ahsoka and Barriss had met later that day, and after agreeing that they were too tired to study, were walking together to the canteen.

Barriss had evidently got over her annoyance at Tau's youth, as she had been talking about him almost non-stop since the girls had met; about the lesson, about the fight, about him...

Ahsoka wasn't paying much attention to her as they entered the canteen, and she stopped speaking for long enough to give the droid her food order at the hatch.

They turned around and took in the hall.

The canteen in which they stood was one of many in the academy and was probably the largest in the temple.

It always seemed to have a busy feel to it, regardless how many people were actually present. It's tall, sweeping arches were a pleasant cream colour, meeting at the centre of the roof to suspend a large chandelier. This bathed the room in a soft, yellow light, and was aided in its task by discrete globe lights embedded in the walls.

Its size, atmosphere, and accessibility meant it was also the most communal of the canteens, being used by younglings, padawans, jedi masters, staff of the temple, and clones of various rank and duty.

It was one of these clones that Ahsoka spied, sitting near the edge of the hall. Captain Rex was bordered by two fellow clones whom she did not recognise, and there was a tray of food sitting unattended by his side.

Ahsoka nudged Barriss and gestured in his direction, before walking over to greet him.

"Hello Rex, you mind if we join you?"

"Commander Tano. Of course, please sit down" the captain responded warmly, gesturing to the seats opposite him.

Ahsoka turned to Barriss.

"Rex, you remember Barriss Offee." Barriss smiled and gave a nod to the captain, who returned the inflexion.

"Indeed I do. In fact, we were just talking about you both."

Ahsoka raised her eyebrows at that.

"Oh?-" she began to say, but was interrupted by another figure approaching the table.

She made a slightly garbled noise as the word died in her throat on seeing Tau come to a stop behind the chair opposite, resting a hand on its frame.

Tau flicked a coy glance at Rex, before quickly appraising the two girls.

"Hello Ahsoka, Barriss, good to see you again." He slid into the seat with the food tray in front of him before looking back up at them both.

After a few seconds he added, "Do feel free to sit down, won't you?"

It was only then Ahsoka realised she had been frozen in place, and was probably staring. She shakily laid her tray on the table and worked her way into her chair.

Tau smiled slightly at the girl's nervousness, which served to bring some presence of mind back to Ahsoka. Seeing that small half-smile on Tau's face again, it occurred to her that it rather suited him, but if he ever transitioned into a full smile he might look almost friendly.

Rex, apparently oblivious to all this, continued speaking.

"I was just saying you were telling us how the lesson went this morning," he said, looking at Tau, "if teaching them is anything like fighting with them, I'm sure it was quite the experience."

Tau rested his elbows on the table top, interlocking his fingers just below his chin. "It had its moments, wouldn't you say?" He alternated his gaze between Ahsoka and Barriss, the latter of whom gave a smirk in response.

All eyes turned to Rex as he started speaking again, regaling them with his squadron's latest excursion. Ahsoka tried to concentrate on the story, but her eyes kept flicking back to Tau.

His brow furrowed slightly as he listened to the clone's tale, and his own eyes were locked on Rex. Ahsoka noticed new things about him at this proximity, things she had not seen during the earlier lesson.

His pale Zabrak skin appeared smooth at a distance, but in fact held several callouses and scars. There was a long, faint line running up his left arm from his elbow, whose end was lost in the web of tattoos.

There was a deeper, short scar on his right temple, descending to just below his eye level. It reminded her a little of her own master's scar.

There was also damage to the foremost horn on the left side of his head, which was cracked from its centre to its base. It must have happened when he was quite young, though, as the crack had become twisted and narrow as the horn had grown around it.

Her eyes moved lower, observing that he had a peculiar way of locking his hands, which hid the ring finger of his right hand below his left.

And those eyes. Unmissable in their brightness. Striking, sharp, intelligent. Ferocious violet, and, quite beautiful, she thought.

Something in Rex's speech cut through her stupor to prick her attention.

"...Teräs Käsi, just like you said Tau."

Barriss asked the question before Ahsoka could.

"Sorry, Teräs Käsi? I'm not familiar."

It was Tau who answered, his voice seeming to fall comfortably into an explanatory tone.

"Teräs Käsi is a martial art. It was developed about 4000 years ago by the Followers of Palawa specifically to combat force users. Since then it's evolved into a more general fighting form, and gained particular popularity with bounty hunters as the Jedi began to aid the Republic in policing such things. It can be quite dangerous in a skilled disciple."

Rex cut in at this point, "Yeah, but Tau's got just the solution."

Tau continued directing his speech at Barriss and Ahsoka.

"It is my opinion that the Jedi's reliance on force and lightsaber abilities in combat have led to their over-reliance, a detriment in hand to hand skill, and the consistent under-estimation of talented opponents."

He took a sip of water before continuing. "I have worked to develop my own fighting style in response, which could be modified to incorporate force powers at higher levels, though does not require them. I made a proposal to the jedi council that padawans receive some instruction in its use, or at least a familiarisation with Teräs Käsi, such that they might learn how to respond to it."

"However," Tau shifted his head to address Rex as well, "the jedi council deemed my practice too aggressive. It will not be incorporated by the Jedi, and I am only allowed to train a few clone troopers in its instruction, such that they can pass it on to specific squadrons."

He clenched his jaw for a moment before finishing, "I spoke to General Yoda earlier today. I got the impression that he does not approve of my continuing in the practice's development, but he has allowed me to teach those jedi who request it, if they have the time. Still, given the council's decree, I don't imagine I'll have pupils lining up for lessons any time soon."

Rex spoke again.

"Well that's a damn shame. Still," Rex grinned and lifted a hand to clap the jedi on the shoulder "we'll happily finish the lessons, if it'll make you feel better."

Tau returned a mock smile and batted the clones hand away.

"Thank you kindly, Rex. But in fact, had the council voted the other way, I suspect I would have regretted putting myself forwards as an instructor. At least this way I'll get to leave the temple soon."

Again Ahsoka's interest was piqued. She remembered Barriss telling her that Tau was instructing padawans to give the council time to appoint him to a new position after the death of his master.

Thinking back to the lesson he had taught, she wondered if the council would let him take the jedi trials after all. Although she had not seen him demonstrate his force powers, Barriss had indicated that they formed as much a part of his reputation as his lightsaber skills. And that would have to be some power.

One of the other clones, who until this point had been mute in the conversation, asked the question that had occurred to Ahsoka.

"They got around to assigning you a new master then?"

Barriss winced a little at the question, and the clone received an elbow in his side from the man next to him. Ahsoka did not know who Tau's previous master was, but if their bond was anything like that which she had with her own master, his or her death was likely a sore subject.

Tau made a placating gesture with his hand to the other clone, and gave a small, forgiving smile to the one who had spoken. It was stiff and did not reach his eyes.

"Not exactly, no."

Now this was interesting, Ahsoka thought. So far as she was aware, no jedi padawans were allowed to operate independently of a master. That is to say, although jedi masters could give a padawan a task to be completed without their supervision, the padawan still had to have a master. Those jedi initiates who passed the initiate trials but were not taken on by a master were usually sent into the service corps or other similar roles.

It was Barriss who vocalised Ahsoka's thoughts.

"Forgive me Tau, but I was under the impression that every jedi padawan had to be in the tutelage of a master."

Why is it that everyone else seemed at relative ease talking to Tau, but every time Ahsoka looked at him she became tongue-tied? She chastised herself for her reticence before hearing his reply.

"I previously made my interest in the order of the Sentinels known to the council, and it seems they have acquiesced. Officially, my tutelage is the shared responsibility of Masters Keelyvine Reus and Taria Damsin."

Ahsoka was familiar with both names. A stern woman, Master Reus had occasionally criticised Anakin for his closeness to the Chancellor, and reprimanded both Anakin and Obi-Wan for what she considered flippancy in serious situations. She wielded dual lightsabers, and Ahsoka had received brief instruction from her in the practice (called Jar'Kai). It occurred to Ahsoka then that Tau's serious demeanour when instructing his class was quite similar to Master Reus'. She suspected they would get along well.

Master Damsin, on the other hand, was quite close with Obi-Wan. She had not taken on the title of General at the outbreak of the Clone Wars, focusing instead on teaching at the Academy, although she would occasionally take missions on behalf of the council. She specialised in advanced lightsaber techniques but taught a range of subjects. Ahsoka had received force lessons from her and remembered liking her a lot. She was a strong, determined woman who preferred her students to address her as 'Taria', and she was known for often bending the rules of the Jedi. Ahsoka suspected that for this reason, Tau would also get on well with her.

"While at the temple, Taria will instruct me in the techniques of a jedi shadow. General Reus will share her experience as a jedi investigator, the skills for which I have begun acquiring through my work with the Coruscant police department."

And that was the other intriguing thing: the jedi sentinels. Their work was not well known, even within the Jedi order. A jedi investigator sounded fairly self-explanatory, but a jedi shadow? Ahsoka knew that they worked directly under the Council of First Knowledge and that they specialised in stealth techniques. Beyond that though? They valued discretion, and were generally held in high regard. She looked again at Tau's calculating eyes, considered his reserved composure and decisive movements. It would suit him, she decided.

"To that end," Tau stood up, "I have an appointment to keep. Ahsoka, Barriss," Tau nodded to them, "I believe we have a final saber class together before the week is out." He turned to address the clones. "And if you boys are still up to it?"

"Yep, we'll give you one last run around sensei", Rex replied.

Satisfied, Tau stepped back, giving another low nod to the table, before walking swiftly away. Ahsoka's eyes followed him until he was out of sight, at which point she turned to meet a curious look from Barriss.

The conversation turned back to the war, and after a short time Ahsoka made her exit and was soon back in her room. She pulled open a draw to find some spare combat gear. She hadn't realised that Tau would be taking their next lesson as well, and she wanted to be as prepared as she could. She told herself that it was just good practice, but she had a gnawing feeling that she also quite wanted to impress him.

* * *

><p><strong>Later that evening.<strong>

Harsh neon light cut through the dusk on Coruscant's lower levels, struggling to illuminate the narrow streets of the city's underbelly.

Tau strode through the dust and grime, tugging his hood a little lower over his face as a security drone floated across his vision at the end of the street. The air was thicker down here, laden with smoke and rot and corruption. Tau breathed it in. It was familiar to him.

Another few twists in the road, slowing once or twice to avoid the paths of security drones, and he had arrived. His destination took the form of a bar.

It was dank, and its walls were plastered with graffiti. The name had been scratched off of its sign, but he knew it to be 'The Jewel of Shili'. Its accompanying logo was intact though; the silhouette of a seductively posed Togruta female outlined in pink neon tubing. Its form made Ahsoka's image flash through Tau's mind, and he smiled slightly at his indecency.

The doors opened with a whine as he stepped towards them, and then continued through another set into the bar.

A jazz band was playing in the corner of the room, and the soft sounds mixed with the low chattering of the patrons made a pleasant hum, broken now and then with an accusatory exclamation or bout of raucous laughter.

Tau walked to the bar and ordered a dram of spirits, discreetly tracing a pattern with his fingers on the bar top as he did so. The bartender poured his drink and leaned in close to whisper something as Tau paid.

"Back room. Three."

In fact, Tau did not need to be told. He had sensed the presence of his contact before entering the bar.

Tau closed his eyes, flexing his senses and pushing his perception outwards. He had met the contact before and identified his presence in the back room, as the bartender had indicated. He could sense two others with him in the room, all of them nervous and a little excited.

Focusing on the other occupants in the bar, Tau could feel their intentions and mental states. Most were drunk, some were jovial, and some bored. These he ignored. He directed attention instead to those minds who were in turn focused on him.

Three people had been appraising him since he had entered. One was a lean, sickly looking human. In his thoughts were violence and desire. He was a thief, looking over the bar folk for a mark he could follow and mug. Tau waited as the thief eyed his figure and decided there were easier targets, moving his attention elsewhere.

Good decision, thought Tau.

From the second he sensed desire of a different kind. It came from an attractive female Twi'lek sitting on the other side of the bar. Flattered, Tau turned this too away from his attention.

It was the third mind for which he was looking. From it came suspicion and intense observation. This man had been told to keep an eye on Tau, and was here in case something went wrong.

Tau opened his eyes and glanced at the source of this observation, who quickly averted his gaze, as Tau expected. The man was a powerful looking Besalisk, his four arms crossed in front of him revealing powerful biceps and a blaster strapped at his side. His mind betrayed a familiarity with violence, quick reflexes, and a sadistic streak.

He would need more than that to be a threat.

All of this had taken place in seconds, this kind of mental assessment being second nature to the young jedi. He downed his drink, and walked behind the bar to the room where his contact waited.

Outside the room, Tau patted the compact blaster that hung at his belt in place of his lightsaber, and rapped three times on the metal door. He was accosted by blue, human eyes as a panel was slid back in the door, before it closed again. A moment more, and the door swung open.

Tau quickly stepped inside allowing the man to close it behind him. Looking around, he saw his contact – the one he knew as Vorn - sitting at a low table, along with a young Togruta woman.

Vorn stood, reaching out a hand to greet Tau, whom he addressed using the pseudonym Tau had taken.

"Khan, thank you for coming. Would you like some wine?"

Tau ignored his outstretched hand and sat in the chair opposite Vorn. At the same time he sensed a movement in the bar, and realised that the Besalisk guard had exited, and was making his way behind the building.

"Why am I here Vorn?" Tau asked, flatly.

Vorn hesitated, staying in that pose for a few seconds longer, before taking his seat and swallowing. The other man also sat down, on a stool next to the metal door.

Vorn spoke again. "Yes, of course. To business then." He smoothed down the front of his coat, trying to compose himself. At this point Tau sensed another presence observing him. He concentrated and found the presence over to his right, behind what he quickly determined was a false wall. It was the Besalisk, looking at them through a peep hole. Tau assumed that the conversation would continue with a gun aimed at his head through the wall. Wonderful.

"Well, Khan, you are aware, perhaps, of the recent assassination of a rather prominent member of our organisation?"

Tau didn't respond, staring unblinkingly into the man's dark brown eyes.

Vorn took the hint and continued, "You see, Khan, his death has made acquiring the product a little more difficult than we had first thought."

Ah, thought Tau, so that's why I'm here. He could see where this was going.

"It's just, what with the police digging around and all, my employer will have to expend more effort and resources than he was intending, and he-" Vorn stalled here, taking a sip of wine from his glass, which had started trembling slightly.

"He has requested that I seek compensation for this expense, to ensure that the product is delivered as requested."

Tau raised an eyebrow slightly but still did not respond, seeing a thin layer of cold sweat forming on the man's skin.

"He's asking for twice the original price", he finished, biting his tongue when he had done so.

Tau held the man's gaze in silence for several heartbeats before responding in a low, even tone.

"I am indeed aware of your associate's death. I am aware of who killed him, I am aware of who is replacing him. And furthermore, I am aware of the negligible impact his death will have on your ability to acquire my product."

Tau paused and saw Vorn's mouth begin to gape, revealing yellow teeth. He continued,

"What is the lowest figure your employer has authorised you to accept?"

"I don't-" Tau raised a hand to cut off Vorn's reply.

"Bear in mind, Vorn, that I do not look kindly on those who attempt to renegotiate settled deals."

Vorn seemed to think better of whatever answer he had prepared and took a moment more to think before answering.

"One and a half times."

Tau didn't need to be a force adept to see that the man was bluffing. The meeting was over.

"You're lying Vorn. I will pay precisely the amount on which we agreed and not a credit more."

Tau stood to drive home the point, though not so quickly as to alarm the guard behind the wall.

"Do not try to contact me again, I may not be available. I will contact you with the method and at the time stated in our original schedule." Tau anticipated the question forming on Vorn's lips. "I will appoint a delegate whom you can contact if something important comes up."

"How will I-"

"I will get a message to you letting you know how."

Vorn was standing by this point. Tau walked briskly to the metal door, signalling the other man to stay sat down. Turning back towards the room he added, almost as an afterthought, "however, if you invite spectators to a meeting with him without first requesting permission to do so", he looked pointedly at the man, then the woman, then to the false wall, and finally back to Vorn, "he will be under instruction to kill them."

Vorn widened his eyes and the Togruta gave a little gasp, but Tau was already hauling open the metal door. Leaving them all a little shaken at the experience, Tau stalked out of the bar and back into the inky black night of Coruscant's under-city.


	5. Closeness

"Again." Tau stood at the head of the dojo, with the class lined up in front of him. Between him and them, two padawans were engaged in a duelling routine, shimmying back and forth across the long training mat.

The students each held two training lightsabers, twirling them about in time with their movements. Ahsoka had discovered on entry that this class would be on Jar'Kai - the practice of wielding two lightsabers at once - as part of a continuation of advanced lightsaber techniques.

Tau clenched his jaw slightly as the routine was completed again. It was a sign of exasperation, barely noticeable given the serious expression that seemed to naturally adorn his face.

Ahsoka sympathised. The students were completing the movements well enough, but it was clear to anyone with an eye for such things that they weren't reacting to each other. They were just executing a string of actions without really comprehending their opponent's moves.

The padawans drew to a halt at the end of the routine, turning to Tau and taking shaky breaths. Ahsoka realised that the reason for their sloppiness was probably exhaustion. Once again, Tau had pushed the class hard, and once again had kept up just fine himself.

Ahsoka smiled slightly to herself. She had enjoyed the class and still had energy to burn. Just as well, given what she intended to do afterwards.

"Good form. Rejoin the group." Tau made a dismissive motion with his hand, and the two students made their way back to the class.

Tau took a deep breath, seeming to clear his mind before speaking again. He began to pace to his left. "It seems we have some time left before the end of class, and I should like to introduce a novel feature of Jar'Kai before we finish."

He turned here, walking back in the other direction. The eyes of the class followed him, engrossed. "Some practitioners, particularly those who study the Niman combat style, opt to use a shoto in their off-hand, rather than a second full-sized lightsaber."

He stopped in front of Ahsoka, before addressing her. "Ahsoka," she snapped her eyes up to meet his, "your tutor informs me that you have been experimenting with such a practice. Is this true?"

Her tutor? Did he mean Anakin? Had Tau asked about her? Ahsoka swallowed and answered cautiously.

"Yes, it is." She wondered where this was going.

"Wonderful. Perhaps the class is in the mood for another demonstration to close the lesson?" His eyebrows rose as he asked the question, glancing back along the line of students.

A few nodded excitedly, although Jarin's eyes remained decidedly downcast. Tau had made no reference to the events of the previous class until now, and Jarin had been markedly quieter throughout the lesson.

Tau spoke again before the recollection could properly register with anyone, "Come then."

He walked across to the centre-left of the mat. There, he spun about to face Ahsoka and threw her a small training saber as he did so.

Ahsoka caught the shoto and ignited its short blade as she took her position a few steps away from Tau. She glanced down to take in the blue blade, and activated the green blade of the training saber in her right hand.

Her eyes rose again as Tau pulled a training saber into his right hand with the force and produced a full-length blue blade. His head half turned as though he were about to address the class.

Tau stilled and seemed to reconsider. He turned his head back towards Ahsoka. "No instruction for this bout. We'll improvise."

A smattering of chatter went through the class, and Ahsoka saw more than a few unconstrained grins as she glanced their way. Although the fight at the end of the last class had technically not been subject to particular routines or instructions, it had been clear that Tau was barely tested by Jarin and Novem and had toyed with them both. Her peers knew that Ahsoka was the strongest duellist in the class by some way and were hoping that she might be the impetus that forced Tau to show some of his true ability.

Ahsoka looked back at her adversary. Her excitement won out over her nervousness, and she took a tighter grip on her sabers. Tau's presence still gave her a slightly shaky feeling, but if it meant seeing what he was really capable of, she would push herself to her limit.

Tau moved his lightsaber into a low guard position, and Ahsoka flicked her shoto into a reverse grip, readying herself for a powerful assault.

They stood there for seconds more, each studying the other's stance, daring each other to move first. Ahsoka forced herself to breathe evenly, putting everything out of her mind except the fight to come. She became aware of the feel of the mat on the soles of her feet, of the smell of sweat in the room, of the beating of her heart in her chest.

The room seemed to still as she drank in every detail of her opponent. She had examined Tau already, but this was a different experience altogether. She noticed his grip on the lightsaber, observed his stance as a whole, noticed his centre of gravity, and traced his gaze to her own centre of mass.

The opening move came from Tau. Without warning, he stepped forwards with a fast jab.

Ahsoka deflected the attack and Tau kept pressing the assault. His attacks were tight and fast, expending little energy, but they were also relatively weak and exposed his left side to counter-attack.

Ahsoka smiled inwardly and kept up her defence. Another attack came from her left and she saw her opportunity. Batting aside Tau's blade with her shoto, she angled an attack at his exposed flank.

But Tau was alert to the weakness. Spinning around, crouching as he did so, he brought his blade about in a reverse thrust, aimed directly at her torso.

Ahsoka desperately diverted her attack to bring her saber across her body, just knocking aside the tip of Tau's blade and narrowly averting being struck.

They backed away from each other a few steps, and Ahsoka noticed a teasing twitch in Tau's eyebrow. Of course - he had been baiting her.

Ahsoka brought her blades back up in front of her and, reminding herself not to underestimate him again, slowly approached her opponent.

She closed the distance quickly and lashed out with her saber, bringing her shoto up quickly to defend as he returned the volley. They continued like this for a short time, defending and countering, each probing the other for weakness, finding none.

It was not a dead heat though, as Ahsoka was finding herself pushed back by more and more powerful strikes, each more difficult to deflect than the last. She marvelled at the power of his attacks and this time could find no weakness to exploit.

It was clear that her defence would not hold for long if she had to meet him head on, so instead she increased her movement, darting, rolling, and jumping about the mat to avoid having to directly block a powerful strike.

Tau outmatched her speed, controlling her central line and forcing her into more awkward and narrow escapes. His blows rained down now with severe force and speed, with any hope of counter-attacking extinguished.

Then, as she rolled past him towards the mat's centre again, one of his attacks landed. His saber found her shoto with full force, jarring her arm and wrenching the shoto from her grasp.

Ahsoka instinctively deactivated its blade with the force as it left her hand, and the shoto spun to a halt just behind Tau. Sensing victory, Tau strode confidently towards Ahsoka meaning to finish the bout quickly.

Ahsoka crouched low and made her decision. Taking a strong grip on her lightsaber's hilt, she drew on the force and launched herself over her enemy. At the height of her somersault she flailed her saber, forcing Tau to duck out of the way of the blade.

Tau turned his evasion into a forward roll, creating some space between them. Ahsoka landed perfectly beside her dropped shoto. She quickly forced the shoto into her left hand and looked up, intending to regain her bearings and find her opponent.

She looked up, and found herself staring directly into the bright blue blade of a lightsaber. Its hilt was floating in the air before her, its blade coming to a point mere millimetres in front of her head.

Without moving her head, Ahsoka shifted her gaze beyond the lightsaber to find its owner. A few paces away on the training mat she found Tau, on one knee and facing away from her, with his right arm outstretched behind him, his hand unfurled.

She put together what must have happened in her mind. Tau had rolled away under her somersault and, using her trajectory to judge where she would land, had flung his lightsaber behind him, telekinetically bringing it to a stop in front of her face.

Tau stood up slowly and turned to face her, recalling the lightsaber as he did so. Ahsoka let out a rattled breath as he walked over to her and offered his hand.

She stared up at him for a moment. It had been a brilliant move, but a dangerous one. They might have only been using training sabers, but an error in judgement would have meant at least a painful burn, probably a serious injury.

Remembering where she was, she took his offered hand and got to her feet, breathing easier as her adrenaline rush began to subside.

She looked over at the rest of the class, seeing a mixture of incredulity and glee. They had wanted to see Tau's capability, and not one of them looked disappointed with the glimpse they'd been given.

Ahsoka saw a few of the grins begin to become smirks, and she realised that she was still gripping their instructor's hand. Blushing lightly, she took back her hand and used it to massage her left forearm, which still burned from the strike that had knocked the shoto from her hand.

Noticing this, Tau bent down closer to her and spoke softly, "Are you alright?"

She blinked and nodded up at him, finding her speech not yet returned to her. Tau straightened and addressed the class, authority returning to his cadence.

"Ahsoka did well. We were able to demonstrate the main facets of the shoto Jar'Kai technique. The short blade allows for a greater range of motion, and Ahsoka began by using the shoto for defence, allowing her to quickly counter-attack with the regular blade. A weakness inherent in using two blades is the inability to launch two-handed strikes, or to easily defend against those of your opponent."

Tau gave a quick glance at Ahsoka's injured arm before looking back up at the class and continuing.

"Instead of trying to meet power with power, Ahsoka used her stature and speed to her advantage, evading and looking for the opportunity to attack."

Ahsoka thought that Tau was being generous then. She hadn't felt like she was probing his defences, more like avoiding his offence as well as she could.

"Finally, it is worth bearing in mind that disarmament will be the objective in many Jar'Kai duels, as some practitioners who only ever train with two blades may become overly reliant on their use and neglect either their force training, or single blade combat."

Ahsoka's gaze was drawn to movement at the back of the room and noticed that a group of clones had gathered near the entrance, standing in respectful silence. Tau had obviously noticed them too, and drew the class to a close.

"It seems we have overrun slightly. Well, this was our last class together. It has been an honour teaching you all, and I hope we will have the chance to work together in the future."

Tau gave a slight bow to the class, which was enthusiastically returned by every padawan present.

The gym filled with bustle as the students returned their training sabers to the case (Ahsoka remembered to do so this time) and exited the hall, eagerly conversing about the class, and about Tau when they were further out of earshot. The clones had left their positions and moved towards the front of the room, some exchanging brief salutations with the padawans they knew.

Ahsoka picked Barriss out of the crowd. Ahsoka had informed Barriss of her intentions and received a wink of encouragement. As the hall cleared of jedi, Ahsoka looked around to find Tau. She saw him closing the lid on the case of sabers and sending it to the back of the hall.

Timidly, Ahsoka walked up to him and cleared her throat. Tau turned slowly and appraised her with a stare. She made her enquiry in a firm voice.

"Excuse me Tau, are you about to begin your class with the clones on the martial art you told us about?"

"I am."

"I've been thinking about what you said about Teräs Käsi, and I agree - we should be able to answer it with something. Would it be alright if I took your class too?"

Tau narrowed his eyed before answering.

"You understand this is the last class I will be teaching? I must make sure that Rex is ready to instruct other squads. I will not slow down on your behalf."

"I wouldn't expect you to."

There was that coy half-smile again. Tau folded his arms and considered for a moment. Then nodded his head towards the already assembled squad of clone troopers.

"You'd better fall in then."

* * *

><p>It was nearing the end of the lesson and Ahsoka was breathing heavily. It turned out that Rex was pretty well self-sufficient by this point, and had served as instructor to the other clones for the majority of the lesson, deferring every so often to a comment or command from Tau.<p>

Tau himself had spent most of the lesson focused on Ahsoka. He had begun by assessing her knowledge base, checking that she could throw a punch properly, going over the basics of positioning, and so forth. This hadn't lasted long though, and as promised he had not slowed down for Ahsoka's benefit.

The martial art, it turned out, consisted of combinations of strikes with the fists, feet, shins, knees, and elbows, along with throws and joint manipulations.

She could see what Master Yoda had objected to - it was an aggressive practice.

Ahsoka and Tau had paired with each other for the lesson, to run through routines, and to demonstrate how to respond to basic force attacks. At this point, Tau was instructing her on overcoming the disadvantage of her slight stature, showing her how to use her attacker's weight and momentum against them.

He stood close in front of her, himself breathing heavily and sweating with exertion. The class had been hard, but Ahsoka had found herself having fun. She and Tau had developed a rhythm, and as she nodded to him, he closed in on her again.

As he made a grab for her waist, Ahsoka locked her arms across his shoulders and pulled him towards her, attempting to unbalance him. She rolled onto her back and used her legs as levers to push him up and over her. Tau shifted his body in the air, reversing the lock on his arms and dragging Ahsoka with him. They rolled once more, coming to stop with Tau kneeling, Ahsoka's back against his front. One hand was at her neck, the other arm wrapped around her waist, pressing her into him.

She felt the strength go out of her, and, not for the first time in the class, slumped in his arms, catching a moment's rest. She was acutely aware of every part of her body that contacted his. A slight shiver was sent down her spine every time his breath hit the back of her neck. Evidently, Tau's Zabrak lineage had given him two hearts - a feature of that species - and she could feel them both beating powerfully in his thorax.

Tau applied a slight pressure to her throat, and Ahsoka felt his voice reverberate through his chest to hers.

"Yield", his deep voice commanded.

Ahsoka brought her hand up and tapped his forearm three times, and Tau released her throat. A moment more and he stood. He walked around in front of her and offered his hands, which Ahsoka took, and lifted her to her feet.

Ahsoka took a few more deep breaths before settling her eyes on Tau, and advanced on him once more. She reached out to grasp his right arm, intending to apply a lock to his elbow, but her tiredness slowed her down. Tau broke her grip and grabbed her own arm, twisting as he did so.

"Ah!" Ahsoka let out a yell of pain, and Tau immediately dropped her arm. He could tell the difference between a noise of exertion and real injury and crouched down beside her.

"What's wrong?"

"My arm. It's nothing, I'm sure." Tau ignored her reassurance and lightly cradled her arm. Tenderly, he probed around the muscle, causing Ahsoka to wince and grimace.

The clones had stopped their exercises and looked on, concerned. Tau helped Ahsoka to her feet and turned to Rex.

"Rex, I'm taking Ahsoka to the infirmary, kindly finish the class for me."

Rex gave a nod, but Tau was already leading Ahsoka out of the room. She would have objected, but Tau was clearly decided on the issue, so she allowed herself to be led through the temple to the medical wing.

* * *

><p>The infirmary was bright, almost dazzling, due to the combination of strong overhead lighting and prevalence of white paint and materials. It was clinical in its atmosphere and had a slightly overpowering smell of antiseptic.<p>

Ahsoka was sat on the middle bed of a row of them lined up against a wall. There were only three other people in the room. One was a patient, lying unconscious two beds over from her. One was a human woman in a lab coat, who was speaking quietly to a medical droid in the far corner of the room.

And one of them was Tau.

He had positioned himself on the bed next to her and was cradling her injured left arm in his hands. His eyes were directed downwards, looking at nothing in particular, and he occasionally glanced over to the medical droid in the corner. He absentmindedly stroked her forearm, his fingers tracing out inscrutable patterns on her skin.

His touch was at once soothing and electrifying, sending little shivers up the length of her arm with its every deviation and drawing her mind away from the burning pain of the muscle.

He wore a frown on his brow, and Ahsoka smiled in amusement as she noticed a small crease of concern between his eyes. She was about to reassure him again when a medical droid floated over to them.

Its mechanical voice cut into the peaceful lull Ahsoka had been occupying, and she noticed the pain in her arm returning.

"How may I assist you?"

Tau answered for her, obviously restless, "Assessment of damage to the left forearm."

Tau slid his fingers along her arm, moving out of the droid's way and instead grasping her hand with his. The droid scanned the length of her arm and beeped a few times while it processed the data, before announcing its findings.

"The muscle is strained but not torn. Rest the arm for at least a day, and there will be no lasting damage."

"You see? Nothing to worry about", Ahsoka lightly chastised Tau, giving his hand a squeeze as she did so.

Tau gave her a tight-lipped smile and brought his free hand over to her arm. Applying light pressure, he pushed his thumb along the muscle and brought it back down in a spiralling motion. He repeated the process, applying more pressure each time.

The burning sensation in her arm quickly abated, replaced with a pleasurable tingling.

"What are you-?" Ahsoka didn't finish the question, feeling knots in her arm loosen and relent beneath Tau's touch. She blinked slowly and made a small noise as she exhaled.

Tau answered, staring into her eyes, "Deep tissue massage. A less aggressive feature of my martial art."

He smiled at seeing her relax and brought his other hand into the process.

Ahsoka opened her eyes again, connecting with his stare. He seemed closer, somehow. Once again, she found herself studying the face in front of her. The strong, sharp features, the serious expression, and those violet eyes that seemed to bore into her own.

Before she quite knew what she was doing, Ahsoka had closed the distance between them and planted a soft kiss on his lips.

She drew back slightly, widening her eyes as she realised what had just happened. Before she could speak, Tau's hand was at her chin, angling her head up towards him. This time he closed the space, pressing his lips against hers, stroking his hand across her jaw and curling it around the back of her neck.

Ahsoka closed her eyes, surrendering herself to the experience, laying her hand against Tau's chest and deepening the kiss.

They might have stayed there forever were it not for the sound of footsteps approaching from beyond the room's entrance. They broke apart just as the doors to the infirmary slid open to reveal Ahsoka's master.

Anakin approached the pair anxiously, oblivious to what he had just interrupted.

"Ahsoka, are you alright?"

Tau found his voice before she did, haltingly at first.

"General Skywalker. It's nothing serious - a strained muscle. It was my fault."

That brought Ahsoka back into the room, "No it was mine."

Anakin regarded them curiously, then turned to Tau. "Thank you for bringing her here Tau, I believe Master Reus is looking for you."

"I had better go and see her then." Tau gave Ahsoka's shoulder a squeeze, stood, nodded to Anakin and left the room after a quick glance back at Ahsoka.

Anakin started speaking again, but Ahsoka was only half listening. The pain in her arm was completely forgotten now, and she felt only the lingering warmth on her lips and an excited fluttering in her stomach.


End file.
